Edward Perrett: from Bristol to Enniskillen
Since early in my research I’ve known that my great-great-great grandfather Samuel Perrett (1809-1882) had two older brothers baptised in Bristol – Edward (1805) and Thomas (1807). Until recently I had little success in finding out what happened to them, but the recent addition of Chelsea Pensioner records to Ancestry provided me with a breakthrough.
In the ‘UK, Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Admissions and Discharges, 1715-1925’ record set there was an entry for ‘Edwd Perrett’ aged 43 dated 28th December 1847, which gave a birth year of around 1804 and, more crucially, the birthplace transcribed as “St Phillips ?? Bristol”. He had been serving as a private in the 53rd Regiment of Foot.
I was able to find Edward in the ‘British Army, Worldwide Index 1841 Transcription’ on Find My Past which told me that he was based in Plymouth in 1841 and had the service number 118. Further research revealed that Edward had joined the Army at Bristol on 15th April 1823 and served until 1847. He spent 10.5 years overseas in Malta, Gibraltar and the Ionian Islands. His conduct was good and he was discharged on 3rd December 1847 … to Enniskillen.
The Shropshire Regimental Museum website states that “Having spent the period 1805-23 in India, the 53rd was posted to Ireland, Gibraltar, Malta, the Ionian Islands and the UK between 1826-44 before it was ordered back to the Indian sub-continent. On its tour of duty there between 1844-60 it saw almost continuous active service. “
Griffiths Valuation of 1864 has an Edward Perrett leasing a house at Randalshough, Devenish, County Fermanagh which is only a few miles north of Enniskillen. There is also a death of Edward ‘Perrott’ aged 60 registered the following year at Enniskillen which would seem to be the right person.
A search for P*rr*tts in Devenish reveals the baptisms of Mary Anne – daughter of Edward Perrott – on 26th November 1853 and Edward – son of Edward Perrott – on 19th October 1855. The mother of these children is named as Ann McCauley and there is another daughter of this couple, Sarah (born 1858), who married John Mosgrove in 1880 and emigrated to America. There is an Anne Perrott born in 1828 whose death is registered in Enniskillen in 1897, so perhaps Edward retired to Ireland and married a younger wife? There is more research to be done here, but it does seem that there is an Irish branch of my P*rr*tt family … and with Perrotts still living in the Enniskillen area today – and Mosgroves in America – I am reasonably confident that there are some new distant cousins to be found too!